What is the Film About?

Tethered is a coming of age dramedy about two best friends, Rosie and Alex, both trapped by the confines of grief. Rosie, an ambitious, overachieving young woman had it all planned out to achieve her dreams to go to college–up until a reckless driver took her life away. Alex, a girl who used to be full of sweetness and charm, has been consumed by grief since her best friend’s passing.

For 3 years, Alex’s world stopped spinning the day Rosie died, where she moves through life in a cloudy haze of lament as she clings onto memories and routines to keep her from drowning. But unknowingly to Alex, by not accepting the death of her best friend, she has tethered Rosie as a spirit trapped in limbo–a “middle” state of afterlife–keeping her from moving onto the beyond. Rosie’s spirit retains that of a sweet girl who uses an awkward sense of humor to cope with her bleak afterlife situation, along with the guidance of Death, a sympathetic, gentle, all knowing spirit who guides lost souls in the afterlife.

However, the girls’ circumstances change during one night in Alex’s apartment in which the well-being of their life and afterlife are threatened by the grief consuming Alex entirely. Completely convinced that with the use of her spiritual powers, Rosie believes that she can make Alex get over her death in just one night to save both of their fates before their impending doom.

Tone, Style, and Look Inspiration for the film

Why This Story?

From our Writer & Director:

Tethered is a story about love, loss, friendship, and the beauty of grief. This story has been incredibly healing for me to cope with my own grief, and I hope it can open the eyes of those who struggle with grief to see that it isn’t something to look down upon. I wrote Tethered as a love letter to my Rosie–my best friend, Abby. To help cope with her passing, I found myself writing this story to process the sorrow that I had been harboring, confronting the vulnerable feelings I had been avoiding authentically. 

Being able to share this story with those who persevere with the confines of grief is so deeply personal to me by fulfilling my dreams in tapping into the emotional stability and relatability in others with my art, reinforcing that you are never alone. During a time of so much uncertainty and hopelessness with the notion that time is a gift, Tethered offers a sense of hope, instilling this belief of cherishing what lives closest to your heart.

This story can help to remind us to look for a glimmer of hope even when things can look alarmingly bleak. By tackling themes of acceptance, spirituality, and love transcending death, I want to reflect that everyone has some kind of relationship with grief, and that it doesn’t have to be something to look down upon. I wish and crave to convey in this story that grief is just love with nowhere to go.

Who's the Team?

Alyssa Nicholls

Writer & Director

Writer/director Alyssa Nicholls is a Trinidadian undergraduate senior studying television and film at Howard University who is dedicated to sharing untold stories and experiences revolving around BIPOC, highlighting vulnerability and relatability. During her studies, she has worked on multiple graduate and undergraduate film projects in various positions, building up immense appreciation, gratitude, and experience. Now, for her final project to complete her education, she is working alongside an incredible team of filmmakers to help her own short film come to fruition. 

While Tethered is the final piece to achieve her degree, it’s much more than just another project. This coming of age dramedy is a story she has been developing for 2 years to help cope with the loss of her Rosie–own best friend, Abigail Menjivar. Dealing with the loss of her best friend in the summer of 2023 challenged Alyssa’s emotional security, where she developed a complicated relationship with grief. With Tethered she is giving an incredibly vulnerable piece of herself in this story to not only help herself cope with her own grief, but also help others see the beauty and fragility grief can hold.

Savannah Summerlin

Producer

Savannah Summerlin is a writer, director, producer, and graduate of Howard University's MFA Program. She got her BA from New York University, where she created her own major entitled "The Intersection of Art and Activism," which enabled her to take courses on a variety of different artistic mediums and global issues. Since matriculating at Howard, Savannah has interned at WETA Arts, National Geographic, Proximity Media, A24, and Long Story Short Media in DC. She currently works as an events assistant and a freelance producer.

When asked what space she would like to work in after graduating (Film or television? Scripted or documentary?) Savannah simply says "yes." At her core, she is a lover of all things fantastic and aspires to bring a little bit of magic to everything she creates, whether she's writing, directing, or producing it. She also deeply believes in the importance of DE&I in Hollywood and hopes to help, hold space for, and open doors for long ignored voices and communities.

Kadarius McNair

Producer

Kadarius McNair is a producer and creative storyteller passionate about bringing compelling narratives to life on screen. Originally from Virginia Beach, he is a senior TV and Film major with a Theatre Arts minor, building experience both behind the camera and in front of it. As a producer on Tethered, Kadarius continues to develop projects that explore emotion, connection, and visual expression. Alongside filmmaking, he works as a model and creative visionary, using every platform he touches to tell stories that resonate and inspire.

Omar Hutchins

Cinematographer

Omar Hutchins is a San Francisco born, Washington, DC based cinematographer and photographer with a degree in Media Journalism and Film from Howard University with a concentration in TV and Film and a minor in African Studies. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Omar fostered a love for photography that was sharpened as an assistant with Kingmond Young Photography and since stepping into filmmaking has worked on narrative and documentary as a cinematographer, director, and in many other supporting roles. He is committed to creating and preserving images of black people and people of color to tell distinctive, moving stories such as Tethered. 

Where are you in This Process?

We are currently in pre-production and plan to shoot during the last weekend of March and first weekend of April in the DMV. To bring this film to life, we are in the process of securing locations, equipment, and actors. Raising funds will go towards production design, equipment, locations, compensation, and post production. With our goal of raising $8,000 we will be able to accomplish creating this love letter of a film authentically. Upon completion of our film, we will be able to submit Tethered to film festivals, sharing our story with the world.

How Else Can I Support This Film?

Please help us spread the word! Support us by following us our instagram page @tetheredthesisfilm and share our campaign here on Seed&Spark. You can share a link to our campaign on social media to help us increase our audience, and encourage your friends, family, and network to donate. Thank you!